109 Central Street

Architectural Description: 

Victorian with Italianate elements.
Wide banding at roof line, brackets on eaves.
A former bay window in center second story window.

Historical Narrative: 

Themes: architectural, community development

This property was purchased by Elizabeth Punchard (Abbott) Pratt on March 1, 1877 from the estate of William Phillips Foster of 96 Central St. (now 2 Abbott Bridge Rd.) executors John Abbott and Joseph Kimball. Elizabeth was one of three children born to Hartwell B. & Sara (Jones) Abbott. Her father Hartwell was born in the old Benjamin Abbott homestead at 9 Andover St. on June 24, 1816. He married on November 14, 1855 at age 39 to Sarah Abbott Jones, b. Nov. 5, 1817, age 36, daughter of Jewett & Susan Jones. Their children; Elizabeth Punchard b. Aug. 31, 1857, James Jewett b. April 6, 1859 and Mary Alice b. June 15, 1860. were born a 3 Andover St. in the new farmhouse built by their father. Elizabeth P. graduated from Punchard Free School in 1872, married Thomas Franklin (Frank) Pratt on Oct. 25, 1876. T. Frank was born Nov. 16, 1847 in Medford, MA, son of Thomas Wait Pratt a housewright and Laura Pullen. Frank Pratt was a banker and assistant cashier for Old Boston National Bank. Elizabeth also acquired the river meadow lot from her father Hartwell of 1 acre 99 rods on July 22, 1878 which abutted the house lot. Lupine Rd. had not yet been extended to Central St. The road was established about 1882 and was first called Rail Road Street running parallel to the Boston & Maine Railroad tracks.

The combined properties were once part of the Foster and Abbott farms. Elizabeth's lot now extended down to the Shawsheen River.
Elizabeth and Thomas Frank had three children Malcolm P. b. Nov. 1879 d. Feb. 1883, Stanley A. b. Feb. 1882 - d. Sept. 1937, and Sarah H. b. Sept. 1885. Thomas Frank Pratt died at age 61 years of cerebral degeneration on Nov. 25, 1908. Elizabeth and her family, Hartwell B. Abbott sold a portion of their land on Reservation and Red Spring Rd. to Alice Buck and committee in Dec. 1897, to create the Indian Ridge Reservation now an AVIS property. Pratt had also acquired a third parcel of land up hill form her home which would later be developed by Alex Henderson as Henderson and Marion Avenues.

Elizabeth sold two lots behind the house to Horace Hale Smith C.E., on Lupine Rd. in Aug. 1910. Hale built his stucco home and then built a boat house next door. The parcel between the river and Lupine Rd held a boat house for the Andover Canoe Club and a launch for the Elizabeth continued to reside in the house with her daughter Sarah who became a school teacher. Elizabeth took a mortgage from the Andover Savings Bank in 1926. Elizabeth died on Jan. 15, 1934 at age 77. The Pratt family are interred at Spring Grove Cemetery. The loan loan defaulted in 1938 and the Andover Savings Bank took possession on Dec. 23, 1938.

The bank held the property for nine years then sold to Albert L. & Jennie Kerr on Apr. 26, 1947. Albert died March 24, 1958 and widow Jennie then sold to George M. & Mary S. Stewart on Aug. 22, 1958 3 parcels. John C. & E. Carol Fisher then purchased the property on June 23, 1960 Carol Fisher died on Sept. 22, 1968. John remarried to Samia K. and the deed was placed in both their names in May 1969. The Fishers sold their river lot of .693 acres to AVIS on Dec. 30, 1969 which is now part of the Lupine Reservation.
In Sept. 1972 Fisher sold the house parcel to Joseph J. & Phylis E. Herskovits Joseph J. died on July 24, 2009. The property is now in the Phylis E. Herskovits 2011 Revocable Trust.

Bibliography/References: 

1896 Glimpses of Andover - photo p. 60
Essex Northern Registry Deeds, Lawrence, MA

Owners;
William Phillips Foster estate - John Abbott & Joseph Kimball Extrs - Mar. 1, 1877
Elizabeth P. (Abbott) Pratt - Mar. 1, 1877 - rec. July 13, 1878 - b. 52 p. 37 1acre 99 rods, house lot
also land of;
Hartwell B. Abbott - river meadow lot - b. 51 p. 551
Elizabeth P. (Abbott) Pratt - June 26, 1878 - b. 51 p. 551 1 1/2 acres on river abuts house lot
Elizabeth P. (Abbott) Pratt - Dec. 22, 1922 - b. 529 p. 7 mtg.
Andover Savings Bank - Dec. 23, 1938 - b. 620 p. 531 - possession
Albert L. & Jennie Kerr - Apr. 26, 1947 - b. 842 p. 498
Albert L. Kerr estate - died March 24, 1958, Jennie B. Kerr heir. 1958
George M. & Mary S. Stewart - Aug. 22, 1958 - b. 878 p. 327 - 3 parcels
John C. & E. Carol Fisher - June 23, 1960 - b. 918 p. 352 - 3 parcels
John C. & Samia k. Fisher - May 3, 1969 - b. 1133 p. 122 - 3 parcels
Joseph J. Herskovits - Aug. 10, 1972 - b. 1199 p. 495
Joseph J. & Phylis E. Herskovits - Sept. 8, 1972 - b. 1203 p. 430
Joseph J. Heskovits estate - d. July 24, 2009
Phylis E. Herskovits heir - 2009 - b. 12277 p. 17
Phylis E. Herskovits 2011 Revocable Trust - June 20, 2011 - b. 12519 p. 229

Map #72 Lupin Hill - Horace Hale Smith lot 1910
Map #401 corrected map Lupin Hill - Horace Hale Smith lot 1920
See Maps #2420 Dec. 1946 - Henderson Acres - approved June 1950
Map #2810 Aug. 19, 1952 - Henderson Acres - Henderson & Marion Ave. development

Inventory Data:

StreetCentral St
PlaceAndover Center
Historic DistrictNot Applicable
Historic NameElizabeth P. & T. Franklin Pratt House
Present Useresidence
Original Useresidence
Construction Datec. 1878
Sourcestyle - njs
Architectural StyleItalianate
Foundationstone & granite
Wall/Trimclapboards/wood
Roofasphalt
Major AlterationsOriginal front porch removed Barn razed
Conditiongood
Settingresidential
Map and parcel74-65
Recorded byStack/Mofford, James Batchelder
OrganizationAndover Preservation Commission
Date entered1975-77, updated 3/2014

Images: 

Map: